What is Mythic Fiction?

Mythic fiction is rooted in real world mythology and folklore. The mythologies, and folk tales, used in mythic fiction, are not meant to be disguised. These stories also use a real world setting for some portion of the story.

This subgenre can overlap with magical realism, but mythic fiction does not always treat magic as mundane or expected. Mythic fiction can also overlap with urban fantasy, but the stories are not necessarily tied to an urban setting.

Literary Examples:

The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint

The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars by Steven Burst

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I think most writers of fantasy draw from existing mythologies to some degree, but change details and the names of the gods in their pantheons. Do you incorporate myth and folklore into your writing?

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18 Comments

Yes. Lately, I’ve been trying to learn more about different mythologies outside the Judeo-Christian and Western European mythologies I grew up with. Some people are tired and bored of those – personally, I’m not, but I’ve also learned to love the variety and the possibilities of other mythologies.

Mythology is a fun way to explore cultures in a fantasy world. Deciding what kind of superstitions, creatures and magical feats different peoples believe in can make for interesting plot points. It also allows you to explore things such as, “Hoe much influence, if any, do god(s) have over mortals?” Or, “What are supernatural creatures capable of?” And also the role mere mortals play in all of this.

These are by no means original thoughts, but as Stephen mentioned there’s plenty of room for variation–which, I think, is where all the fun occurs.

In short story- and novel-scope works I often write from mythology or towards events that would be adapted culturally into myth. They’re one of our species’s greatest traits, and the most powerful artistically. You know my current novel has some creatures that pop up in world mythologies, though the themes are more important to me.

I think I incorporate elements of all kinds of mythology into my work. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved Greek Mythology. Most recently, I’ve been learning more about Asian myths – from China, the Philippines, Japan, and Thailand.